Our funding

UNDP's funding channels

At approximately US$5 billion annually, donor contributions to UNDP represent about one-fifth of all contributions to the United Nations development system. These contributions are provided as either core resources—also known as regular resources—or non-core resources.

1. Core Resources

Regular resources provides for the most effective delivery of transformational results. This helps UNDP support the most vulnerable, promotes equity and enables the prompt response to crises. It also promotes coherence, accountability, transparency and quality assurance of the UN development system.Learn more about our top contributors to regular resources

2. Thematic Funds

Thematic Funds are pooled funds that help UNDP achieve the targets outlined in its strategic plan. These funds contain monitoring and reporting mechanisms to support results- based management.

UNDP takes its ethical responsibilities seriously. To prevent any conflict of interest, UNDP has created mechanisms to separate its roles in administering and implementing pooled funds. The UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF) is the specialized unit dealing with pooled fund design and administration.

On average UNDP receives, as implementer, around one-third of the funding disbursed by MPTFs and JPs administered by the MPTF Office.

4. Earmarked Funds

Designated to specific programmes and projects, earmarked funds can be assigned at the global, regional and—most commonly—country levels.

Governments can contribute to UNDP programmes or projects in their own countries; this arrangement is called Government Cost-Sharing. These domestic resources are used for development projects that are in line with both National Development Plans and UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

5. Vertical Funds

Vertical funds are created in response to high-visibility, single-issue advocacy campaigns and to tackle specific development issues. They are frequently administered by the World Bank. Their Boards or Steering Committees decide on funding portfolios and allocation criteria and are assisted by independent Secretariats.

Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

The Multilateral Fund was established by the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and began operations in 1991. UNDP, as an implementing agency of the Fund, supports investment projects, demonstration projects that test approaches to development challenges, and provides technical assistance and feasibility studies.